Sports Reporter

No contest: Panthers second-rower Sika Manu is tackled by Warriors players on Saturday. Photo: Matt King

Warriors players have received a dressing down after some were seen on television smiling and laughing at full time in Saturday night's record 62-6 loss to Penrith.

The players and members of the Warriors coaching staff arrived home from Sydney on Sunday afternoon and were called to a meeting at the club's Auckland headquarters at which criticism of their post-match reaction was raised.

While it is accepted that the players were merely catching up with former Warriors or New Zealand teammates in the Panthers side, they were told supporters expected them to react differently after a defeat in which star halfback Shaun Johnson was benched nine minutes after half-time. "That performance is completely unacceptable and what was picked up on the TV afterwards is completely unacceptable but the players' resolve is as strong as ever," said Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah.

The focus since the match has been on the future of coach Matthew Elliott, who was sacked from Penrith two years ago, but Warriors officials believe senior players must take more responsibility.

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After virtually inheriting the team when Brian McLennan was axed late last year, Elliott will be given the chance to oversee a squad that includes players he has recruited and developed.

Warriors chairman Bill Wavish, who was at the game on Saturday night, said Elliott had his full backing. "Matt has my absolute confidence and I think he is a great selection," Wavish said.

Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah did not travel to the match at CentreBet Stadium but met with Elliott and the players when they returned from Penrith.

"I am talking to Matt, the footy staff and individual players constantly but Matt is in charge of football and there is no one more shattered than him and there is no-one with a more stronger resolve than him to get it right," Scurrah said. "Everyone is accountable and we all have to turn up every day of the week, whether it is in the office or on the field or at training, 100 per cent committed.

"That is the difference . . . you see some teams do it week in and week out and some teams are not doing it consistently, and it is something we have got do to do. We have done it in the past and we have got to be doing it again."

Before the match, there had been concerns in the New Zealand media about how the Warriors had blown leads in the final 15 minutes of matches on six occasions this season. "I don't think anyone predicted or saw that coming," Scurrah said. "What we saw was a team that looked like they were steadily on the improve and as more players came back from injury I guess everyone had a fair amount of optimism because there was more competition in the squad."

Meanwhile, Johnson described being benched by Elliott with 31 minutes left in the match as the most embarrassing moment of his career.

The 22-year-old halfback looked angrily up at the coach's box before being calmed down by teammate Feleti Mateo. "Just got pulled. No injury. Just got subbed," Johnson said afterwards. "Being a halfback, it's probably the most embarrassing thing that can happen. But that's what happened. That's how it went, I've just got to move forward."

1 comment so far

Bahah..I said we would put on a cricket score in the comments on an article last Friday..and look at that, we did! Nothing better than watching the game live from CentreBet Stadium on Saturday night!